The rise of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease motivates some people to become more careful about the food choices they make. If you are looking for an easy tool to help make healthy choices and help prevent the onset of chronic disease, the glycemic index has been shown to do just that.

If you're pregnant and wondering if you can still hit the gym, recent research answers with a resounding "yes." Researchers looked at 2,800 healthy pregnant women who enrolled in exercise programs. By exercising moderately, the women reduced their risk of gestational diabetes by more than 30 per cent.

Lack of awareness keeps a vast part of the population with elevated blood sugar that is not yet diabetic but can lead to worsening outcomes from making important lifestyle changes, such as cutting back on sodas and sugary foods as well as losing weight and getting more exercise.

Traditionally, Muslims are not allowed to eat throughout the day while they fast during the holy month of Ramadan. Although individuals with illnesses are usually exempt from fasting, I try my best to do what I can. It's an interesting struggle to keep the balance between fulfilling my religious responsibilities and keeping my health in check. The criticism is endless, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do! My doctors have advised me against fasting numerous times, but I think it should be a personal choice.

It's funny how the fads come and go. Cleanses and detox diets have actually been around for more than 100 years. But Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Educator April Thorimbert says, it's not always a good thing when history repeats itself.

But there is an even greater danger with a simplistic understanding of diabetes that focuses exclusively on individual choice -- it diverts attention and resources from other approaches which may be more effective at addressing the diabetes epidemic. It is projected that by the year 2020, one in three Canadians will have either diabetes or pre-diabetes.

With our health care system, diabetes is more easily managed in Canada. But in a developing community, most can't afford a computerized glucometer. So diabetes goes largely untreated, leading to critical complications like blindness, heart disease and kidney failure. Diabetes claims 3.4 million lives every year.

One particular consequence of an altered circadian rhythm is altered glucose utilization leading to increases in weight gain, obesity and even diabetes. The reason for this has been examined at the molecular level and some paths to problems have been elucidated.

Studies have shown that inadequate follow-up care after emergency room visits is common, with up to 30 per cent of patients with chronic illnesses not seeing a doctor within 30 days after they've been sent home from the ER. Why? In part, it's because fewer than one in three primary care physicians in Canada report being notified when their patients visit an emergency department.

It's been a rather tough year for artificial sweeteners. In that time, three new studies have been released suggesting they are poor substitutes for sugar. In the spring, an investigation into their use revealed a disconcerting association with the onset of depression. Then, a long-term analysis of their use revealed they may contribute to overall weight gain.

Contrary to our common perception of nuts as unhealthy, Dr. Sievenpiper found a modest decrease in blood fats known as triglycerides and blood sugars among people who added tree nuts to their diets compared to those who ate a control diet.

The long-term benefits derived from investing in STEM-related programs impact many sectors. Of the 10 highest-paying jobs in Canada, seven are found in STEM industries, of which four are within non-biotech/healthcare sectors such as construction, utilities, transportation, and goods production.

Those approaches, for unhealthy eating in particular, can be a real challenge, because they bang hard against the reactor core of our economic system -- consumption. Consumption and lots of it. Like tobacco, the fight for healthy eating will challenge the heart of what companies do: sell as much as they can.

With growing wealth in many developing countries around the world, diet and lifestyle changes are showing dramatic increases in obesity and related diseases like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. But more than rising standards of living, lack of education seems to contribute to these dismal trends.